Granite Falls is a city in the North Sound region of Washington State, named for a nearby waterfall on the Stillaguamish River.
Granite Falls is at the west entrance to the Mountain Loop Highway (officially, Forest Route 20), a two-lane, 52-mile, partially paved highway that connects to Darrington through the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. Between May and September, the Mountain Loop Highway offers a pleasant, day-long summer drive for outdoor photographers, hikers, and nature enthusiasts.
Understand
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The site of Granite Falls was a portage for local Coast Salish tribes prior to the arrival of American settlers. The settlement was founded in 1883 and prospered after the discovery of gold and silver in the Monte Cristo mines located east of Granite Falls.
Mountain Loop Highway
[edit]Despite its name, the highway itself does not form a full loop. It does, however, connect to State Routes 92, 9, and 530 to create a longer, total loop. Ringing a series of interesting geographic features known as "the interior", the Mountain Loop Highway is jointly maintained by Snohomish County and the United States Forest Service.
Established in 1936 from a series of disconnected, primitive wagon roads that once linked remote mining and logging settlements in the area, construction on the route was completed in 1941. The highway was closed during World War II and, again, from 2003 to 2007 due to torrential rains that destroyed large sections of the road.
Today the Mountain Loop Highway is largely used as a scenic drive and to access trailheads in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The highway closely follows the Stillaguamish River as the valley becomes narrow and rugged, and nearly every mile provides a popular trailhead, campground, or fishing hole. The highway also serves as a "backdoor" evacuation route for Darrington, which is outwardly connected by only one other road. The town could be threatened by an eruption of nearby Glacier Peak, one of five active stratovolcanoes in Washington.
Plans to complete the unpaved section of the highway in the 1980s, 1990s and 2010s met with local opposition and approximately a third of the road remains unimproved to this day.
Get in
[edit]By car
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Washington State Route 92 (SR-92), commonly called the Granite Falls Highway, is the main road to Granite Falls.
From Interstate 5 (I-5), exit north of Everett on U.S. Highway 2. Follow US-2 to the east and continue to Washington State Route 204 which becomes Washington State Route 9. Continue on SR-9 for approximately 1.75 mi (2.82 km) and then turn right onto SR-92.
By bus
[edit]- Community Transit, ☏ +1 425-353-7433, toll-free: +1-800-562-1375. Operates local and regional public transit bus routes in Snohomish County, except only local routes in Everett. Communities within the county served by this operator's routes include Arlington, Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Snohomish, and Stanwood.
- Route 280 travels from Everett Station to Granite Falls Park & Ride, via Lake Stevens.
Get around
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In Granite Falls, SR-92 becomes Stanley Street.
Mountain Loop Highway
[edit]From Stanley St, turn left onto Alder Ave and drive north. In 0.25 mi (0.40 km), you will pass Granite Falls Middle School on the right. This is the official start of the Mountain Loop Highway.
The Mountain Loop Highway is paved for 34 mi (55 km), to Barlow Pass. From there, the high turns northward, and the next 13 mi (21 km) are unpaved gravel road. While high-clearance or four-wheel drive are not necessary, motorcyclists should exercise caution. The unpaved section of the highway is closed for the winter in November or December, depending on weather, and generally reopens in May. The pavement returns near the Sauk-Suiattle Indian Reservation.
There are a few small residential communities along the highway. They are mostly clusters of vacation homes, and do not offer businesses or services.
See
[edit]- 1 Granite Falls Fish Ladder (at 1.5 mi (2.4 km)). When it was built in 1954, the fish ladder was the world's longest vertical-baffle fish ladder. There is a small, gravel lot next to a staircase that leads down to the fish ladder. Park here and venture down to see both the ladder, and the shallow, rock falls for which the town was named.
Do
[edit]- 1 Mount Pilchuck State Park, ☏ +1 360 793-0420, [email protected]. Features a 2.7 mi (4.3 km) trail to the top of Mount Pilchuck, the most prominent peak in the area at 5,324 ft (1,623 m), with breathtaking views in all directions.
- 2 Lake 22 Trail (Lake Twenty-Two) (13 mi (21 km) east of Granite Falls). 5.4 mi (8.7 km) round-trip, 1,350 ft (410 m) gain. A popular day hike through old growth forest to an alpine lake. The trailhead fills up early.
- 3 Big Four Ice Caves (2 mi (3.2 km) beyond Silverton, on the right side). At the bottom of Big Four Mountain's steep, 4,200 ft (1,300 m) face, debris piles from avalanches are able to remain year round because of continuous shade provided by the mountain. During the summer, snow-melt streams flow beneath the debris piles and cause caves to be formed in the ice. This ice forms the lowest-elevation glacier in the lower 49 states. Parking is available in a paved lot. An easy 45-minute hike leads to the ice caves which can be viewed from a lookout.
- 4 Barlow Pass. The paved road ends at this 2,362 ft (720 m) pass. There is a trailhead to Monte Cristo.
- 5 Monte Cristo. An ghost town, active as a mining area for gold and silver from 1889 to 1907, and later as a resort town until 1983. Many century-old structures still stand, including the railway turntable. The decommissioned road to the townsite is a 8 mi (13 km) round-trip hiking and biking trail.
Fees and permits
[edit]Most of the land along the Mountain Loop Highway is regulated by the U.S. Forest Service. A parking pass is not required to drive the highway, or for short-term parking at designated scenic outlooks, but most other recreation requires one of the following passes to be displayed on each vehicle:
- America the Beautiful (Interagency) Pass ($80/year), for unlimited use at all United States National Parks, National Forests, and National Monuments.
- Northwest Forest Pass ($30/year), for unlimited use at all United States National Forests in the states of Washington and Oregon.
- National Forest Recreation Day Pass ($5), for one self-selected day only.
There is one place along the highway to purchase passes and ask for local advice:
- 1 Verlot Public Service Center, 33515 Mtn Loop Hwy (11 miles from Granite Falls), ☏ +1 360 691-7791, [email protected]. F-M 8M-Noon, 12:30–4PM.
Buy
[edit]Eat
[edit]Drink
[edit]Sleep
[edit]Campgrounds
[edit]The U.S. Forest Service maintains several campgrounds along the Mountain Loop Highway.
Firewood can be purchased from grocery stores and convenience stores in Granite Falls and Darrington. As with much of the American West, open-fire burn bans are common during the summer.
Dispersed camping
[edit]There are also dozens of unmarked (but easily identifiable) dispersed campsites. Many of these are along the highway, especially on the unpaved section along the Suiattle River. These unimproved single-tent sites offer a more intimate and remote setting than the parceled slips of the improved campgrounds. The highway receives practically no traffic after dusk. Dispersed sites are free, but fill up fast on summer weekends.
Backcountry
[edit]Backcountry camping generally allowed and free for those hiking away from the road, with the exception of the Monte Cristo townsite.
Stay safe
[edit]There are no gas stations between Granite Falls and Darrington. Take adequate fuel to make the journey.
There is little-to-no cellular signal between Granite Falls and Darrington.
At the Big Four Ice Caves, do not leave the trail to illegally enter the highly-unstable caves. Sudden cave-ins have taken several lives since 2010, making it one of the most dangerous hikes in Washington, despite the completely avoidable danger.
The Cascades are habitat for black bears. There have been fewer than a dozen bear attacks in Washington in the last century, but hikers need to know about bear safety. Ask a park ranger for local advice.
Go next
[edit]To make a true loop, continue to Darrington, then drive west along State Route 530 to Interstate 5. This will be faster than returning the way you came.
For more mountains, instead drive north State Route 530 to reach State Route 20, then head east to North Cascades National Park.
From I-5,
- Seattle is an hour south, and Vancouver is less than two hours north
- Enjoy the Salish Sea from Anacortes, Camano Island, or Whidbey Island